Ducks and Drakes
by CounterKnight291543
Summary: His eyes were a deep red, and although they looked tired and bored, they sparkled brilliantly under the bright lights of the gym. Their colour was accentuated by the vibrancy of his hair; red and maroon in perfect harmony as his long, pointy bangs curled delicately over his eyes and onto his cheeks. Below those cheeks lay an equally delicate, yet angular jawline. Nitori swallowed.
1. Freshwater

Chapter 1: Freshwater

During the first week of the semester, universities are _always_ lively.

Around campus there exists an incomparable energy, a distinct feeling of anticipation, that simply cannot be rivalled anywhere else.

For those destined to begin the next step in their academic lives, it's impossible not to be drawn in. Whether it be a college or a university, students flock to explore what their new home has to offer, to sample their newfound freedom, and of course, to get a taste of the infamous lifestyle.

Iwatobi University was no different.

Opening its doors to students for the first time in months following summer break, the whole place was abuzz with activity.

It was early in the morning, around 9:30 to be exact, and orientation events were already in full swing. Today was the beginning of the first and biggest of these events.

Held annually at the start of term, the main gymnasium on campus played host to the numerous clubs and societies the university had to offer, with each one being given a stall from which to advertise their extra-curricular activity. Naturally, the event was extremely popular with freshmen. Students lined the hall in their hundreds, all of them eager to find a club that best reflected their individual passions.

The atmosphere was nothing short of electric. Already freshmen from across campus were using the event to make new friends; the clubs and societies on offer giving them the opportunity to share in their interests with people of a similar mind. It was exciting and new, and everyone seemed to be having a great time…

…well, almost everyone.

In the corner of the gym, as far from the crowds as possible, stood a boy.

He was a freshman; around average height and slim, with pale, light blue eyes. His hair was a pearly grey, falling messily over his forehead in a number of short, straight bangs. Below his right eye, a small, black beauty mark.

In his hand he held a shiny new student ID card. On it was written his name: _Aiichirou Nitori_.

He quickly clipped it onto his lanyard and pulled the strap over his head. Taking a deep breath, he picked his head up and scanned the area, his eyes darting back and forth in an effort to pick someone from the crowd of students besieging the gym.

Nitori had never liked crowds. He was definitely a people person, that was for sure; he loved making friends and would happily talk anyone's ear off if given the chance, but when it came to large groups, he found his confidence was nowhere to be seen. They made him feel small, like he didn't matter. He didn't have the biggest voice and he wasn't the tallest, so being noticed was always difficult- even in small groups. It made him nervous, especially when it came to social occasions and club activities.

Nitori sighed resignedly and took out his phone.

 _Where could he be?_ he thought to himself as he sifted through his (short) list of contacts. Realising he didn't have the number he was looking for, he slotted his phone back into his pocket and breathed another heavy sigh. Just as he was about to consider leaving, he felt a hand grip his shoulder from behind.

"Aiichirou! I'm here!"

Nitori span around to find a familiar face smiling back at him.

"Oh, Mikoshiba. There you are." Nitori smiled and gave him a small wave. He'd have to get his number later.

"I've told you man, my name is Momotaro. You can call me Momo! Everybody does."

Nitori shook his head, his smile getting wider. It was nice to be able to finally concentrate his attention on one person- and a friend at that. Momo was his flatmate, and although he had a strange obsession with bugs, Nitori rather liked him. He was excitable like a small child, a smiling ball of energy that seemed to radiate positivity, sharing his enthusiasm with whomever he was near. This was how Nitori had been roped into coming to this event in the first place.

"Okay, _Momo_. Shall we take a look around? This was your idea after all."

"You don't have to say it like that!" Momo yelled, leaning closer to be heard above the noise of the gym. "You make it sound like you didn't want to come."

"I didn't," Nitori shouted back, all too aware of the crowds they would soon be heading into.

Momo gestured for them to move. "Come on man, you need to try new things and do stuff that isn't just sitting in your room studying." Nitori pouted. "Trust me, I know what's best for you!"

"But you've only known me for two days!"

Momo laughed and grabbed him by the arm, pulling him along until they had reached the first stall. There was a large crowd gathered around it, making it impossible to even see what club it was advertising.

Momo peered over the top of the crowd before jumping up and down, trying to get a good look at the club's rep. "Meh, I think it's for basketball," he sighed, turning to Nitori. "Is that something you want to do?"

Nitori shook his head. His height ruled him out of that one. Besides, there was only really one club he was interested in.

"Didn't you say you wanted to join the swim team?" Momo read his mind.

Nitori nodded. Swimming was the only sport he had actually been any good at back in high school. It had been a nice hobby, and although he had only really dipped his toes into the competitive side of things, he was a very competent swimmer. The only thing that worried him about continuing to swim at university was the potentially large size of the club, and of course, the level at which he'd be expected to compete.

"Well let's go find it then! Maybe afterwards I can find the entomology club too!" Momo once again grabbed him by the arm and hauled him away, almost knocking him off his feet.

Nitori had no choice but to be pulled along. He was glad of it in a way. The gym was huge and there was so much going on, so many stalls and so many people; it would have been far too overwhelming for him on his own.

Momo eventually brought the pair out at the opposite end of the gym. It was much quieter here. There were surprisingly few stalls and even fewer people, leading Nitori to believe this was probably the area given to the less 'popular' clubs and societies.

"Hey, there it is! There's the swim club!" Momo was bouncing on the spot, pointing excitedly ahead of him. Nitori followed his gaze until his eyes fell upon a table in the far corner. He gasped.

It was manned by two boys. One had short, dark brown hair and a wide, muscular build. He was tall and handsome, but it wasn't him that caught Nitori's eye. It was the other boy.

Leaning nonchalantly back in his chair, his arms folded, he sat scowling at passers-by. He was shorter and somewhat slimmer than the brown-haired boy, with long, maroon coloured hair that fell gracefully in bangs over his youthful looking face. He looked annoyed, angry almost, but despite his cold expression, Nitori was completely taken in by him. He was simply beautiful.

His eyes were a deep red, and although they looked tired and bored, they sparkled brilliantly under the bright lights of the gym. Their colour was accentuated by the vibrancy of his hair; red and maroon in perfect harmony as his long, pointy bangs curled delicately over his eyes and onto his cheeks. Below those cheeks lay an equally delicate, yet angular jawline. It was incredibly well defined, curving perfectly into a subtle point at the centre of his chin.

Nitori swallowed, hard.

"Aiichirou?" Momo still had hold of his arm. "You want to check it out?"

"Err… I… I don't-"

"Of course you do! Let's go!" Momo's vice-like grip on his arm tightened and he felt himself once again being pulled along against his will.

 _No no no no no_.

Nitori tried to resist, but Momo's limitless energy and surprising strength was too much. Before he knew it, he was standing in front of the swim team's makeshift stall. He panicked, shoving his hands deep into his pockets and looking off to the side in an effort to avoid the maroon-haired boy's gaze.

Nitori had never been very good at talking to people like him. For some reason, anytime he tried speaking with someone he felt even a shred of attraction towards, he'd either say something stupid or just totally freeze up. He had put this anxiety down to his lack of experience over the years, but in actual fact it was more likely it stemmed from the fears he had over his sexuality. He was bisexual, and although he was more than comfortable with that, he was afraid of how others would treat him if they found out.

"Hey guys. You two looking to join up with our swim team?" The brown-haired boy spoke calmly, but Nitori's gaze remained on the wall to his left.

"We sure are!" Momo was quick to respond.

"That's great to hear. How about you just tell me about yourself first? Things like why you want to join, how much experience you have…"

As the brown-haired boy addressed Momo and the two began talking, Nitori was left to stand there awkwardly.

A low, serious voice from behind the table soon startled him.

" _Do you swim_?"

Nitori's felt an explosion of butterflies take hold of his stomach. He knew this was going to happen. He couldn't just stand there and not talk to the guy. He was supposed to be finding out about the swim club; Momo couldn't do _all_ the talking.

Putting on a brave face, Nitori turned to face the maroon-haired boy. He opened his mouth to speak… but he couldn't seem to form any actual words. The sight of the boy so close up somehow caught him completely off guard.

He could now see every part of him in exquisite detail, and it was quite literally breath-taking. His eyes were particularly stunning, like two rubies in the rough. They held an intensity and an elegance that seemed to surround his whole being. He had a presence, an aura, that just made Nitori stop and stare…

"Umm… I said do you swim?" The boy looked up at him, a little bemused. He didn't look anywhere near as bored or angry as he did from afar; his expression seemed softer somehow.

Nitori felt his cheeks redden.

He still hadn't answered him!

"Oh, uhhh… y-yeah I swim, I did a lot back in high school…"

 _Don't say something stupid. Don't say something stupid._

"…do you?"

As the words left his mouth, Nitori knew it was all over. The embarrassment was almost instantaneous. The boy was either going to think he was a complete idiot, or he was somehow making fun of him. All Nitori could hope for was the slim chance that the ground would open up beneath him and swallow him up.

The boy cracked a smile and laughed a little. It wasn't a malicious laugh. It sounded genuine and warm, even if it was at Nitori's expense.

"Well I am the captain, so what do you think?" The boy smirked back at him, flashing his teeth. They looked unusually sharp. Such a unique quirk only added to his appeal, especially for Nitori who had a particular preference for that kind of thing…

Nitori floundered, words now tumbling from his mouth at pace. "Ha-ha, of course you would swim, with you being the captain and all. Why would you not? You're the captain. Of the team. Sorry…" Leaning closer, he clocked the name on a badge pinned to his jacket. "…Matsuoka."

"It's Rin. Just Rin. Or captain if you like." Oh God he even got his name wrong. Could this be going any worse? "So do you want to try out or-"

"Rin what have you said to this poor kid?" Nitori and Rin both looked up at the brown-haired boy, who was giving Rin a rather disapproving look. "He looks scared to death."

"What?! Nothing!" Rin protested.

"I told you to let me do the talking." Turning to Nitori, the brown-haired boy smiled. "Sorry about him, he's not very good with people. He might be our captain, but he's still got a stick up his ass."

"Fuck you Sousuke." At that, Rin folded his arms and went back to sulking as he had been before.

"No, it's okay!" Nitori practically shouted. Something inside was compelling him to come to Rin's defence. "He… uhhh, he didn't say anything bad. He seems nice."

The one named Sousuke looked shocked to hear this. Rin on the other hand looked a little uncomfortable. Nitori thought he could see an extra splash of colour in his cheeks, but it was probably just his imagination.

Sousuke raised an eyebrow. "Well anyway, as I was saying to your friend here, if you want to join the team, try-outs are this Friday at 2pm."

Nitori nodded. He was beginning to feel a little uncomfortable now too. He felt hot and flustered, like he was coming down from some sort of adrenaline rush.

Momo spoke up. "We'll be there!" He turned to Nitori and gestured towards the exit. "Wanna grab a bite to eat now? We can come back later."

Nitori nodded hurriedly. He couldn't quite summon up the courage to look at Rin again, so he offered Sousuke a shy smile instead, before turning to leave.

"Wait."

Nitori stopped dead in his tracks.

 _Was that…?_

Tentatively, he turned back around. Sure enough, now leaning over the table with his arms still folded, was Rin.

"What's your name?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Oh, uhh… it's Aiichirou, Aiichirou Nitori."

Rin looked as though he was going to respond, but he didn't. Before Nitori could panic and say something else, making things even more awkward, he was whisked away by Momo.

As he was pulled towards the gym doors, his heart still thundering in his chest, all he could think about was possibility of spending the next year swimming with Rin.

He _had_ to get on this team.


	2. Trial and Error

Chapter 2: Trial and Error

Nitori stood with his back to the wall, his gym bag hanging loosely from his shoulder. He was biting his nails furiously. Beside him, Momo was busy with one of the sports centre's vending machines.

"Damn machine," he complained, rocking it back and forth. "That's twice I've put money in this thing." He quickly gave up, sighing resignedly before turning to Nitori. "Hey are you okay man?"

Startled, Nitori pulled his hand away from his mouth as if it had been submerged in scolding water. "Yeah, I'm fine," he lied, pushing off the wall.

Nitori was not fine. He was far from fine. In fact, he was completely terrified.

It was Friday and already time for try-outs. The last few days had passed in a whirlwind of late nights and early mornings, giving him little time to prepare for today. When he wasn't in an introductory seminar or idly chatting with Momo, he was busy daydreaming about Rin. Such thoughts did actually motivate him to give his body some kind of workout, it was just unfortunate that the only part of his body to receive that workout was his wrist.

Nitori had not swum for well over a year. He was either going to drown or perform so badly that everyone there would laugh him out of the building. Worse still, this would all be happening in front of Rin.

"You're going to do great," Momo reassured him, sensing his nerves. He clapped a hand on his shoulder and smiled. "We're both going to make the team, I just know it."

Nitori was well aware that not making the team meant not seeing Rin again. He had tried pushing this thought away, but it remained at the back of his mind, ever-present.

"Let's hope so," he mumbled.

Momo shook his head. "We should get going," he sighed, picking up his bag and making for the locker room. "Just try to be more positive, hm?"

"Okay…" Nitori followed on behind him until they came out into what appeared to be a small café, with huge plexiglass windows covering the inner wall.

"Oh my god, look!" Momo ran over and pressed his face up against the glass. "It's huge…"

Nitori quickly joined him, eager to see what he was looking at.

He was fairly certain he knew what it was. Nevertheless, he gasped at the sight.

Below them was the biggest swimming arena he had ever seen. It was massive, with a multi-layered stand encircling the pool like a giant bowl. There must have been hundreds, no, thousands of seats. Above the stand, a wrap-around set of arched windows allowed light filter naturally through, giving the pool's cerulean waters a dazzling shine.

 _It's a shame I won't be spending much time here_ , Nitori thought to himself. It wasn't like him to be this defeatist, but the odds were truly against him here.

"Come on, let's get down there!" Momo grinned at him and took a hold of his arm, pulling him away from the viewing area and into the stairwell. He really needed to stop doing that.

Nitori wasn't in the mood to protest, so he allowed Momo to guide him down the stairs and out into corridor.

"Here it is," he remarked, pointing at the male locker room.

Nitori followed him inside. As with any locker room, it was filled with a lot of young men in various states of undress. He didn't have a problem with that of course, it's just, even from first glance, these men all seemed to be in great physical condition- something he was not and never had been.

Keeping his head down, he skulked on over to a bench in the corner and dropped his bag down. He hesitantly pulled his shirt over his head and stuffed it inside. The cool air on his skin immediately reminded him of how exposed he was. That slight breeze was accompanied by a feeling of inadequacy; one glance around told him that every other body in there had at least six more abs than he did.

"Hurry it up, man." Momo appeared beside him, goggles already in his hand. He wore a grey swimming cap and a pair of tiny yellow and green speedos. Nitori would have laughed, but his choice in swimwear wasn't exactly much better.

He quickly slipped off his jeans to reveal a purple and yellow pair of square leg trunks. They were too old, too small, and too tight- a relic of his high school swimming days.

"I'm ready," he sighed, pulling his cap and goggles onto his head. He jammed his bag and clothes into a locker and locked it shut.

 _Here we go_ , he thought. Shivering a little, he followed Momo and a group of other swimmers out of the locker room. They came out poolside, into the arena.

"How does the uni even afford this?" Momo exclaimed, staring in awe at their surroundings.

Nitori wasn't really listening. He was too busy checking every face of every swimmer that came by. As they lined up beside him, he quickly found himself panicking. Rin was not among them.

 _Perhaps this was a good thing?_

Rin wouldn't witness his failure and they could start anew; pretend like they had never met. Swimming wasn't the only thing he liked, surely? They could talk out on campus, have coffee or something, get dinner maybe…

Nitori shook the thought from his head. How could he possibly do that? Rin was a third-year, their paths would likely never cross again if the whole swimming thing was a bust.

"Alright, is everyone here?" Sousuke's deep voice carried across and around the arena as he stepped out of the locker room.

Nitori sucked in a sharp breath. If Sousuke was here, then-

Emerging from the locker room, as if on cue, was Rin. Nitori's jaw promptly hit the floor.

Clad in nothing but a pair of black and red swim jammers, his body was on full display for everyone to see. He was built like a Greek statue, his chest and abs sculpted to complete perfection. Atop the layers of shaped muscle sat flawless, smooth skin.

Nitori could feel his cheeks burn as this maroon haired Adonis took his place in front of the group.

"For those of you that aren't aware, my name is Rin Matsuoka and I'm the captain of this team," he declared, folding his arms. "I won't lie to you, a lot of you standing here today won't make it to the first practice. That's a fact. I want this team to succeed, and because of that, I only want the best."

Although Nitori was still reeling from Rin's obscenely attractive body, he was struck by the seriousness of his tone.

"For those of you that do make it, don't expect this to be an ordinary club. If you fall behind or I think you're not pulling you weight, you're out the door. That doesn't mean I expect you to win everything. Failure is part of growing, both as an athlete and as a person. What I won't tolerate is laziness and disrespect. We currently don't have a coach, so Sousuke and I will be taking on that role for you first years. We will help you develop your skills even further so that this team can reach the heights I know its capable of. Remember that when you swim, you represent the club, the university, and yourself. Don't let us, them, or yourselves down."

"Yes, Captain." All the swimmers spoke in unison, expect Nitori who was still busy staring.

"Alright then. Today we see which of you is strong enough. We're going to do a simple 100m time trial for each of you, go with your best stroke and show me what you've got."

Nitori came to his senses pretty quickly. He gulped as he watched the first swimmer in the line make their way to the starting block.

 _It's only 100m_ , he told himself. _One lap, there and back._

That made things less complicated. His lack of overall fitness was unlikely to be a factor over such a short distance. Power and speed were what mattered here. He of course had never possessed either of these in any great capacity (endurance had always been his thing), but nevertheless he still held a slim chance of success, however unlikely. On top of that, 100m gave him much less of an opportunity to humiliate himself. What could go wrong in a single lap?

Nitori began to feel a bit better about himself. He watched as swimmer after swimmer took to the pool, all the while keeping his eye on Rin's supple figure. Eventually, it came down to just him and Momo. Momo was up first.

"Good luck," Nitori squeezed out, patting him on the back as he stepped up to the block. He beamed back at him before taking his position. Sousuke fired the electronic starting pistol once more, Rin started his timer, and Momo was off.

He was good, very good. Nitori had never seen someone swim backstroke with such intensity before. While he lacked form (and grace), he certainly made up for it with his raw speed. He flew across the pool and back in what Nitori thought must have been record time.

"Time." Rin stopped his watch. He looked impressed. Momo climbed out of the pool and pumped his fist in the air.

"The legendary sea otter does it again!" he hollered, whooping and clapping as he slotted back into line. Everyone there looked at him in total bewilderment. Nitori was just as bemused.

"Next," came the call from beside the starting block.

Nitori felt his heart sink. Dread rose from the pit of his stomach, his chest tightening.

 _It was time_.

He stepped forward timidly. He was encouraged by Momo who gave him a hearty slap on the back, but he didn't really feel it. Taking his position on the starting block, he glanced at Rin. Their eyes met briefly before he looked back down at his watch.

Pulling his goggles over his eyes, Nitori steeled himself and adjusted his posture. Rin had barely given him a glance, but it was enough to light a fire in his belly. He crouched, gripping the sides of the starting block with a white-knuckle intensity.

 _Beep_.

At the sound of the starting pistol, he sprang into action. Launching himself forwards, he straightened his body out before arcing smoothly into the water at a perfect angle. His dive was surprisingly good, and he knew it.

It gave him an immediate confidence boost. A smile tugged at his lips as he surfaced and began to swim, his sights set on the other side of the pool. He swam in his preferred style, breaststroke. Even after so long, the movements were very familiar to him.

He reached the other side in good time, and his turn wasn't half bad either. It was only when he was about halfway through the return lap that things started to go wrong. Extending his arms out and separating them had suddenly become noticeably more difficult. He tried to push on, but the kick of his legs was starting to fail him too.

 _What was happening?_ he thought to himself. Mere moments ago he was doing so well, enjoying it even. But now, with the finish in sight, his body was fighting against him.

His legs floundered, his arms seizing up. He could feel his shoulders weakening, his calves cramping. He limped on, his style now resembling that of a drowning dog rather than breaststroke. By the time his hand had reached the side of the pool and Rin had called time, he was close to tears.

He was disappointed in himself more than anything. It was clear from his dive and early performance that he still had some talent, enough to make it onto this team even, so why didn't he take preparing for this more seriously?

He pulled his goggles from his head and hung them around his neck. Dejected, he grabbed a hold of the side and tried to hoist himself up. His arms immediately buckled and he slid back down into the water. He couldn't have looked any more pathetic if he tried.

His arms felt weak, his whole body tense. He tried to pull himself up again, this time with the aid of his leg, but it was no use. He just couldn't manage it. Left to struggle, a murmuring quickly broke out amongst the other swimmers at poolside.

"…is he okay?"

"…what's up with this guy?"

"…does he need help?"

Tears stung his eyes as he fell back into the water for a third time. He couldn't handle this. It was too embarrassing.

Just as he was about to call out to Momo for help, a voice spoke out from above him.

"Need a hand?" it said.

Nitori looked up through blurry eyes to find Rin staring down at him, his hand outstretched.

"Um, yes," he squeaked, not daring to match his gaze. He couldn't believe Rin of all people would be the one to come to his aid. Apparently neither did Sousuke, who, with his mouth agape and his eyebrows raised, looked to be in a total state of shock.

Nitori took Rin's hand. He was pulled effortlessly out onto the side of the pool in a matter of seconds. His knees wobbled a little as he stood, prompting Rin's hand to move upwards and onto his shoulder. For a second, he forgot about his embarrassment and just revelled in his touch. He noted how delicately his hand rested upon his skin, how soft it felt, and how it contrasted with the herculean strength of his arm and upper body.

"Are you alright?" Rin asked.

Nitori quickly realised his situation. The try-out: a disaster. Getting onto the swim team: never going to happen. Seeing Rin again: no chance.

He nodded and whispered a quiet thank you before getting back into line. Momo patted him on the shoulder as he approached, but it did little to dull the hurt and embarrassment he currently felt.

Rin picked up a clipboard from a bench nearby and turned to address the group. "Alright, that's all I needed to see. I'll let you know who's made it back in the locker room."

Nitori hung his head as he followed Momo and the rest of the swimmers from poolside. He dried and dressed himself in silence, not bothering to have a shower beforehand. Momo said nothing, although he definitely looked like he wanted to.

When Rin appeared with Sousuke in the locker room, Nitori was sat waiting to leave. If Momo wasn't here, he probably would have left by now. He knew there was no point to him being here, it was only prolonging the agony of not getting chosen, but he felt like he had to considering Momo's chances of being picked.

"Listen up." Rin's voice carried across the room with real authority. "You all swam well today, but there were only five of you I think have what it takes."

Nitori pulled his bag over his shoulder.

"Kazuki Minami, Takuya Uozumi…"

He wasn't really paying attention.

"…Nagisa Hazuki, Rei Ryugazaki, Momotaro Mikoshiba…"

Of course Momo made it, he knew he would.

"…and Aiichirou Nitori."

Nitori's mouth fell open.

 _WHAT!?_

"We did it man!" Momo slung his arm around his shoulder. "We made the team!"

Nitori stared blankly back at him until Sousuke approached the two of them and shoved some papers in their hands. He gave them a nod of approval.

"Welcome to the team."


	3. The Dotted Line

Chapter 3: The Dotted Line

Rin was tired. It had been a long day.

Managing, coaching and running the swim team was hard enough, but studying for a degree too? Almost impossible… _almost_. He somehow found time for both, but it always left him exhausted when it came time to crawl into bed at night.

With little free time, the few minutes he did get he liked to spend on the couch with his laptop, either playing videogames or watching documentaries (preferably about sharks). Today, however, he was doing neither.

Sprawled out across the length of the sofa, he lay on his front with his chin in his hands, staring aimlessly down at a sports science textbook. He was supposed to be doing some extra studying in preparation for his first lecture as a third-year, but really he was just using this as an excuse to enjoy an hour to himself, alone. Unfortunately for him, having Sousuke as a flatmate meant that, no matter how hard he tried, he was never going to achieve this. His friend, as kind as he was, rarely let him enjoy the few moments of quiet he somehow managed to find each day.

"That girl has been asking about you again," he smirked, eyeing him from the kitchen.

If it was anybody but Sousuke, he wouldn't answer. His vice-captain was his only _real_ friend and had been since the beginning of his university life. Of course, there was always Haruka, but they weren't really 'friends'. The term 'rivals' was probably more apt. No, Sousuke was the only person who was willing to tolerate him. Rin was lucky – they shared a competitive edge and a sharp focus. It was this focus that tended to drive people away… well, that and his somewhat 'abrasive' personality. He was tired and overworked, he didn't mean to come across like an asshole all the time. Despite this, the one group of people he couldn't seem to lose the attention of was the girls on campus.

"Which one…?" he sighed reluctantly.

Sousuke grinned and joined him in the living room. He sat down on the sofa across from him and cracked open a soda.

"The brunette who sat behind us in Principles of Coaching last year."

Rin stared vacantly at him.

"You know, the one with the bow in her hair."

"Oh." Rin vaguely remembered, but he couldn't care less. "Not interested." He shook his head and went back to staring at his book.

"Typical Rin," Sousuke laughed, sipping at his soda. "Your only love is swimming, right?"

Rin rolled his eyes.

"Speaking of which, what did you think of the newbies today? Some pretty strong talent, huh?"

He let slip a rare smile. They were indeed strong.

"They have potential," he agreed, sitting up to match his gaze.

"They certainly do, especially Momotaro."

Rin nodded.

"What I can't understand though, and I've thought about this a lot, is why you picked that Nitori kid."

Rin's smile quickly faded. "His name is Aiichirou and he isn't a kid. He wouldn't be here otherwise, you know that."

"Alright, alright. But why did you choose him? He had the worst time out of all the breaststroke swimmers and nearly drowned himself on the return lap."

"There's just something about him, alright," Rin shot back, his brow furrowing. "I like his attitude and he showed a lot of resilience out there. That's what this team's about."

Sousuke narrowed his eyes and smirked. "You sure it's not something else?"

Rin felt a heat begin to creep up his neck. "What do you mean by that?" he demanded, knowing exactly what he meant.

"Well, you know." Sousuke shrugged. "All those girls in our class would kill for you to speak to them in the same way you spoke to him."

Rin had had enough. "Fuck you, Sousuke," he snarled, grabbing his book and getting to his feet. "You're wrong."

"Whatever, man. I was only joking." Sousuke shook his head and took an idle sip of his soda.

Embarrassed and angry, Rin stormed out and headed for his room. He barged open the door and locked it behind him.

"Asshole…" he muttered, leaning back against the door's frame.

How dare he question his integrity as captain? He picked Aiichirou on his merits, his ability, his potential. Yes, he was a nice guy and there was something about him that was inexplicably likable (his naivety maybe?) but that's certainly not why he picked him for the team. He was a good swimmer, a strong swimmer, that was it.

 _That was it…_

Rin threw his book down onto his desk and slumped into his chair.

 _Fucking Sousuke,_ he thought, _as if he had the nerve to imply something so ridiculous_.

He didn't look at Aiichirou like that… did he?

He tried to shake the possibility from his head, to think of something else, but it just wouldn't go away. After a few moments of deliberation, he sat back and laughed a little.

He was straight. He always had been.

Aiichirou was just an honest person, a hard worker. Someone who doesn't give up even when the going gets tough. He was a freshman who had potential and Rin's instincts were in tune with that. Yeah, that was it…

Happy with his conclusion, he sought a distraction in the papers on his desk. The team registration forms lay in a neat pile beside his textbooks, they just needed his signature. He began to sift through them, hurriedly signing each one. He made quick work of the first two before his eyes were drawn to the one at the bottom of the pile. Drumming his fingers on the desk, he slowly pulled it out and placed it in front of him. He hesitantly looked it over, knowing exactly who it belonged to. He checked their contact number, email address, and course of study. His eyes soon fell upon the name at the top.

 _Aiichirou Nitori_.

He stared at it for a moment.

Snatching his pen up from the desk, he quickly scribbled his signature at the bottom of the paper.


	4. Contact

Chapter 4: Contact

"Dude, what is it with you and those shirts?" Momo pointed at Nitori's shirt and grinned. It was pink with a turquoise trim. A paw and a pair of ears were printed over the pocket, giving the impression he was carrying a small, feline friend.

"I like cats," he shrugged, smiling.

Nitori was in a good mood. He had been the whole weekend. After leaving the trials on Friday with a place in the swim team, nothing could bring him down. As inconceivable as his triumph was, he had made it. He would be spending the year with Rin. He was excited to do so, even if he knew his feelings were somewhat naive. His crush was just a crush and Rin was never going to reciprocate his feelings. Regardless, he liked to dream. With his place on the team assured, the possibility was there and it made him happy, _very_ happy. Even now, despite being part of the longest lunch queue in existence, his spirits were higher than they had been in a long time.

"Urghh," Momo groaned, trying to look over the person in front's shoulder. "How much longer?!"

"There's no rush," Nitori laughed, amused by his impatience. The cafeteria was bustling, the noise deafening, but it was to be expected on a Monday lunchtime. They had got here relatively late too, so that didn't exactly help. Now they were dead last, right at the back of line.

"But I'm hungry," he whined, holding his stomach.

"What are you going to have when we get there anyway?"

"Literally _anything_ , I just want food dammit." He pouted. "What are you going to have?"

Nitori thought for a second. "Hmmm, maybe a-"

"Hey Aiichirou! Look, look!" He was interrupted by a suddenly frantic Momo, who was now pointing excitedly at something across the room. "It's the Cap!"

He gave him a puzzled look. "Who…?"

 _Oh God he means Rin_.

Nitori's stomach tightened, a flutter of butterflies suddenly taking hold. His eyes darted to the source of his nervousness, soon falling upon the boy he liked so much. Rin was sat at a table alone, chewing on an apple and minding his own business. Nitori had never seen him in this setting before. Away from the swim team he looked to be as ordinary as every other student; he might have even missed him if Momo hadn't pointed him out. He wore tattered jeans, an old hoodie, and, much to Nitori's curiosity and delight, his hair in a ponytail.

"Oh yeah, it is him." He tried to play it off as cool as possible; he didn't want to appear too eager in front of Momo after all. Secretly, however, he was debating what to do next. He was considering making up an excuse to go and talk to him, but would that be too risky? Did he really want to bother him while he was eating lunch? There was also the question of his own courage. He just wasn't confident enough to be approaching Rin so readily, especially considering the very limited contact they had shared so far. It would just look weird.

While he silently ruminated on his next move, he felt a familiar tug on his arm.

"Let's go say hi!" Momo was up in his face as always, but for once he wasn't forcing him. It seemed more like he was asking rather than telling.

"Umm… I guess we could," Nitori replied hesitantly.

"Awesome!" Momo gestured for them to move before making his way over to Rin's table, with Nitori following closely behind. He wasn't hiding, but he didn't exactly want to be the centre of attention here either.

"Hey Captain!" Momo bellowed as they approached Rin's table. He looked up immediately, surprised. His indifferent expression quickly returned and so did his signature scowl, although it did seem to soften somewhat when he noticed that Momo wasn't here alone.

"Hi…" Nitori tried, offering Rin a shy smile. In an act of nervousness that he immediately regretted, he also gave him a small wave – despite the fact they were less than a few feet apart.

To Nitori's surprise, he waved back. "Aiichirou, hey." He looked back at Momo. "Momotaro," he simply said, nodding.

"Mind if we join you?" asked Momo, undeterred by his curt response. Rin looked as though he was about to decline, opening his mouth ready to respond even, but Momo hadn't finished. "I'll just grab us some food and I'll be right back!"

"Momo wait!" Nitori protested, losing his nerve.

"Don't worry man I'll get you something too!" With that he shot off back to the ever-growing line, leaving Nitori all alone with Rin.

He stood there awkwardly shuffling his feet, unsure of what to say. Momo had really dropped him in it here.

"S-Sorry about this…" was all he could manage. He definitely wasn't ready for this.

A small smile flashed across Rin's lips. "It's alright." He gestured for him to sit. "I take it he's always like this?"

Nitori nodded and took a seat in one of the free chairs across from him. "Yeah, that's Momo," he laughed nervously.

Rin shook his head. "He's a hell of a swimmer though."

Nitori nodded once more, not knowing how to reply. Silence quickly descended upon the pair. Nitori began to panic, his mind going blank. His thoughts were void of any suitable topics, except one. There was a burning question on his mind, one he knew was risky but was dying to know the answer to. He had promised himself to ask him if they were ever alone, and now was as good a time as any…

"Rin?" he blurted out, a little too loudly. "Sorry, Captain… why did you pick me?"

"What do you mean?" he asked. He calmly finished with his apple and took a sip from his water bottle.

"I mean for the swim team. I didn't think I did very well in the try-outs." Nitori tried not to look him in the eye as he spoke.

"Oh…" Rin cleared his throat. He looked a little uncomfortable, looking off to the side and fidgeting with his bottle. "Hm, well. You might not have been the fastest, but I like your attitude. You looked like you cramped up on the return lap but you powered through anyway. Not many would and I respect that."

The tops of Nitori's ears burned upon hearing this. "T-Thank you…" he whispered, not expecting such praise. He wanted to say more, but he seized up again, not knowing what to say. To his relief, Rin spoke next.

"I saw from your registration form that you're doing English Literature," he stated, his tone framing it as more of a question. The ball was in Nitori's court now. Thankfully this topic of conversation was simple enough for his hormone addled brain to respond to.

"Yeah I am," he smiled. "I've always liked writing, I mean I like reading too I guess, but writing things I enjoy… so I thought it was the best fit for me."

Rin nodded and flashed another rare smile. "Had any lectures yet?"

Nitori couldn't believe this. They were talking! And Rin was smiling!

"Yeah I had my first one this morning."

From what Nitori had seen so far, at the trials and at the fair, Rin was definitely not a people person; he hadn't seen him have a conversation with anyone besides Sousuke, so he couldn't believe Rin was actively taking the time to talk to him.

 _He must be being friendly because I'm a freshman_ , he thought to himself. _Or because Momo left me here alone_.

Either way, he wasn't going to pass up this opportunity to try to get to know him.

"How did it go?" Rin asked, crossing his arms and staring at him with his sharp red eyes.

"Well the material is all very new to me and to be honest it was a bit hard to keep up at times."

"Ah don't worry about that, it gets easier. You'll get the hang of it."

Nitori felt a sudden rush of confidence. "What course are you taking?" he asked, the art of conversation now coming back to him.

"Sport Science."

"Oh of course. I should have guessed something like that."

"Yeah," Rin replied with a laugh. "I'm not a literature person."

Nitori's heart fluttered at such a sweet sound. He wanted to hear him laugh again, over and over. His smiled widened. "It's okay, writing isn't everyone's idea of a good time. What's it like to be third-year anyway?"

"A pain in the ass."

Nitori giggled at Rin's matter of fact tone. Outside of swimming he was the same person, reserved and quiet, a little aloof even, a man of few words. However, he definitely seemed more relaxed here. Whether that was because of the environment or because he was on a lunch break, Nitori couldn't tell. There was another reason he could think of, but he quickly dismissed it. It wasn't because of _him_ , surely…

"I have a lot to look forward to then!"

Rin laughed a little again. "You certainly-"

"RIN!"

He was cut off by a group of girls passing through, shouting his name. Nitori's heart sank.

Rin turned to them and gave them an awkward wave.

"Are you going out on Friday?!" one of them yelled.

Rin, too far away to answer, shrugged and mouthed a simple _maybe_. He quickly turned back around.

"Sorry about that," he said, shaking his head.

"It's alright," Nitori lied, faking a smile. In reality he was a little disappointed. Deciding to swallow his jealousy, he continued. "Partying on Friday?" he asked.

"Well the swim team is, actually. I was going to email everyone about it tonight. Normally I have a zero-tolerance policy for alcohol for obvious reasons, but I usually let everyone have a few drinks on the first Friday night of the semester. Helps the new guys settle in."

"Oh, I see."

Rin nodded and ran a hand through his hair. "Seen as you're here I may as well ask now, will you be going?"

Nitori thought about this. He wasn't really a drinker, but it would definitely help to get to know his teammates. That said, it was only really worth going if a certain someone would be joining them.

"Probably, if it's for the team," he replied. "Will you be there?" There was an unnatural curiosity in his voice that was painfully obvious, but Rin didn't seem to notice.

He shrugged his shoulders. "For appearance's sake, but I don't drink. Don't let me stop you though. Enjoy it."

"I will, but erm, I don't really drink either." Nitori hadn't touched a drop in his life, partly because he had just turned eighteen but mostly because he had never had any interest in doing so.

"That's a first," Rin beamed. "I've never met a first-year who doesn't."

This was the happiest he had seen Rin so far, and it was heart-warming. "Just water for me," he smiled back.

Rin looked as though he was going to say something more but promptly stopped himself after eying the time on his watch.

"Ah shit I've got to get going," he cursed, grabbing his bottle from the table and stuffing into his bag.

"It's okay, no worries." Nitori stood up for some reason, as if he was seeing him off.

"I'll be emailing about Friday's practice and the night out a little later on tonight, so watch out for that." Rin scooped his bag up from the floor and slung it over his shoulder. "I'll see you later, Aiichirou."

"Have a good day, Rin. I mean, Captain."

"Just Rin," he smiled.

Nitori felt his cheeks redden. He gave him an awkward wave, just as he had done before. "Goodbye… Rin."

With a wave of his own, Rin turned and made for the exit, nodding at Momo as he walked by him. The redhead was on his way over to Nitori having finally managed to buy some food.

"That didn't take as long as I thought," he said, dropping a sandwich down on the table in front of him. He sat in the chair Rin had just occupied.

"Thanks." Nitori was still a little giddy from his chat with Rin, the adrenaline still pumping. Although the interruption provided by Rin's (likely) admirers had been disappointing, it had led to the two of them finding some common ground. Most importantly, he had seen him smile and laugh – two things he had rarely witnessed since first meeting him.

"I saw you two chatting, you looked like close friends already!"

 _Friends_.

With it, that word brought so many possibilities. If they were to become friends, how long before his feelings would get in the way?

He didn't think about that now, though. He simply sat and smiled to himself, pleased with what he had accomplished today. He had been nervous at first, but he had actually managed to have a conversation with Rin. He had even got to know him better.

He was making progress.


	5. Wrath

Chapter 5: Wrath

Nitori stood facing his empty wardrobe, scratching his head. There were clothes all over his bedroom floor. He sighed resignedly and slumped down onto his bed.

It was finally Friday and the night of the swim team's meetup. He had been debating what to wear since Monday and even now, fifteen minutes before he had to leave, he still could not decide.

He grabbed his phone from beside him and began scrolling through his emails. He quickly found what he was looking for. Rin's email hadn't mentioned a specific dress code, but he thought he'd check it again anyway.

 _Evening All,_

 _The team's annual 'night out' is this Friday at Dante's Bar (at the north end of campus for you first-years). Meet there at 7:30pm.  
Also, to ensure there is sufficient time, I've moved our first practice to Saturday afternoon, 2:30pm. Don't be late._

 _Rin_

Nitori couldn't help smiling as he read it. It didn't help him with his current predicament, but it did feel nice to read. Despite it being a group email, and certainly not a private correspondence between him and Rin, he went ahead and added it to his favourites folder. He wondered for a second if that was a strange thing to do, but quickly forgot about it when he spotted the time. He didn't have time to dwell on whether he was being weird or not, he had to choose an outfit!

Panicking at the sight of his room, he decided to narrow his choice down to either smart or casual. Given that he wanted to impress Rin, smart was his favoured option, but he didn't want to look too eager or too formal if they were just going to a student bar. He settled on a mix of both. Grabbing a purple collared shirt up off the floor and a pair of jeans from his bed, he dressed himself and slipped on his nicest pair of shoes. Once he was done, he rose to his feet and took a deep breath.

He was a little nervous about tonight. Not just because Rin was going to be there, but because his new teammates would be too. This would be his first time meeting them. The potential for large crowds was his biggest worry though. His hope was that there wouldn't be too many partygoers in the bar besides them, that way he could relax and be himself. Hopefully he could make some new friends and, of course, get to know Rin a bit better in the process.

Calming himself, he took his wallet and slipped it into his pocket. He made sure to do the same with his ID. Although he wasn't going to be buying any drinks, he reasoned that he might need it to actually get into the place. Having never done anything like this before, he could only assume that was the case.

Now finally ready, he grabbed his keys and made his way into the kitchen, easing the door shut behind him. He found Momo sitting at impatiently the breakfast bar.

"God, finally dude," he exclaimed, jumping down. "We gotta' go now!"

"Yeah, okay." Nitori nodded, taking note of his hoodie and trainers. Maybe he should have gone full casual too. Momo gestured towards the door.

"Do you think they'll be some cute girls there?" he asked, opening it and stepping out into the stairway.

Nitori rolled his eyes and followed him out, locking the door behind him. "Maybe," he replied, playing along. He began descending the stairs to the ground floor with Momo close behind.

"I'll be sure to be extra charming then, if that's even possible for someone with as much charm as me."

"I'm sure they'll be all over you," Nitori laughed. Momo really was funny sometimes. They eventually came to the bottom of the stairs and, with a heave of the door, made their way out of their apartment building. Nitori stepped out onto the street and took a deep breath, filling his lungs with cool, evening air. He glanced upwards to see the darkened sky thick with cloud. The sun was well on its way to setting and it looked like it was going to rain. "We should get going," he said, pointing up. They set out in a northerly direction with Nitori taking the lead.

"Where is it the email said we're meeting?" Momo asked. "I forget."

"A student bar at the top end of campus, I don't think it's far."

Sure enough, after five minutes of hurried walking and idle chatter, their destination was in sight. Nitori shivered as they approached, the early autumn breeze getting under his shirt and nipping at his skin.

"Is this the place?" Momo jogged on ahead of him excitedly.

Nitori eyed the sign above the door and confirmed it as the place. "Yeah, I think so. This is Dante's."

"There aren't many inside." Momo sounded disappointed. Nitori, on the other hand, couldn't have been happier to hear this. He glanced in through the window to find it indeed surprisingly empty. This settled his nerves a little. There were still some people in there of course, but no big crowds as he had feared. There was also a pleasant glow about the place that felt strangely inviting.

He opened the door expecting to be greeted by a bouncer demanding proof of his age, but was instead met by the sound of hearty laughter and the rhythmic thrum of some lively dance music. The atmosphere fizzed with a cheery warmth, giving Nitori a sensation of comfort and safety. He felt the tension in his shoulders loosen as he and Momo made their way inside.

"Hey, there's Sousuke!" Momo pointed out, gesturing to the tall figure at the bar. The boy in question quickly spotted them and waved them over. Nitori still wasn't sure what to make of Sousuke. They had only briefly met at the fair and at the try-outs, so there was still a lot he didn't know about him.

"Hey, you two made it." He greeted them both with a firm handshake.

"Hey, Sousuke."

"Hi." Nitori smiled and gladly returned his handshake. Sousuke's friendly manner eased his mind and soothed any leftover nerves, as did his smart – but casual – outfit. In the background, above the music, he could hear some familiar voices. He recognised them from the try-outs, concluding that the majority of the team must already be here.

"Oh man, I gotta' pee," Momo blurted out, spotting the bathrooms at the far end of bar.

Nitori and Sousuke looked at each other. "Seriously?!" they exclaimed in unison.

"I had a lot of coffee today, okay? I'll only be a minute." With that, the orange haired boy sped off to the back, leaving Nitori and Sousuke laughing together at the bar.

"So, Aiichirou. What are you drinking tonight?" He took the last sip of what could only have been a pint of beer. "First one is on me."

Nitori bit his tongue. His pledge of sobriety to Rin echoed through his mind.

"Umm… just an orange juice I guess," he replied sheepishly.

"Oh, you sure? Tonight's the only night you'll be able to let loose after all."

Nitori was thankful Sousuke wasn't overly pressuring him. "Yeah it's okay. Just orange for me." He scratched the back of his neck nervously.

"Alright, it's no problem," Sousuke smiled, looking for the bartender. "No wonder Rin likes you so much."

Nitori's heart skipped a beat. "He… he likes me?" he asked, astonished. Sousuke eyed him suspiciously, which immediately signalled to him he had gotten the wrong end of the stick here.

"He sees a lot of potential in you, yeah."

"Oh, okay. I-I'll try not to disappoint him." Nitori could feel the embarrassment creeping into his cheeks.

"I'm sure you won't." With no barman in sight, Sousuke tutted at the lack of service. "Hey if you want to go see the rest of the guys, we're around the corner by the pool table. I'll bring your drink over when it's here."

Nitori nodded and thanked him. Feeling a little exposed all of a sudden, he quickly turned on his heel and headed for where he had been directed. He cursed himself for being so obvious... _of course_ Sousuke had meant it like that, why else would Rin like him? Nitori did appreciate Sousuke saying such a thing though. He was a little intimidating, but he could tell he was a good person.

Nitori rounded the corner and came to the pool table that Sousuke had spoken of. Beside it where two round tables, each with chairs haphazardly placed around them. Sat in these chairs were some familiar faces. Around one table was a lot of the newcomers whom he recognised, but around the other were a couple of faces he hadn't seen before. This presented him with a dilemma: which table should he sit at? Fortunately, this wasn't a difficult choice; because amongst those new faces, looking as handsome as ever and wearing a chic black shirt, sat Rin. His arms were folded and he looked bored, a stark contrast to most of the others around the table who were laughing and drinking together.

One of the boys happened to look up and notice Nitori standing there. He had a short build and honey blonde hair. "Ah! You must be Aiichirou," he called out, springing to his feet. He grabbed his hand and shook it excitedly.

"Yeah, that's me," Nitori smiled, glad of his enthusiasm.

"I'm Nagisa, it's great to meet you! Come sit with us!" The boy motioned towards an empty chair beside his own. Nitori sat himself down and immediately looked towards Rin, who was directly across from him. Their eyes met and Rin gave him a silent nod of approval.

"This is Rei," Nagisa gestured to a boy sat beside him. He had dark blue hair and wore a pair of red glasses.

"A pleasure," he nodded, pushing his glasses up onto the bridge of his nose. Nitori smiled and nodded back.

"And that's Mako and Haru, they're both third-years like Rin." Nagisa pointed at the two older looking boys to the left of him. The boy with brown hair and green eyes, Mako, smiled sweetly at him, whilst the other, Haru, stared at him vacantly.

"It's good to finally meet a fresh face," Mako laughed, still smiling.

"But what about the other guys, they're new." Nagisa gestured to the other table with his thumb.

"They don't seem all that interested in meeting us second-years though."

"Wait, wait. You all know each other?" Nitori was hardly surprised given how well they seemed to be getting along before he had arrived.

"Yeah! We all went to the same high school and swam for the team there too."

"Oh, I see. You're all good friends then?"

"Of course!" Nagisa slung his arm around Rei's neck, much to the boy's protest. Mako and Haru nodded, whilst Rin looked as though he wanted to be anywhere but here.

"So, Aiichirou. You swim breaststroke, right?" Nagisa asked, sipping at what looked like a chocolate-based liqueur.

"It's my best stroke I guess, I've never been much good at the others. What's your stroke Nagisa?"

"I'm breaststroke too!" Nagisa held his hand up for a high-five, which Nitori was happy to oblige. "That makes us rivals you know!"

"I suppose it does," Nitori laughed. "But I think you'll be a bit better than me. I think we all saw how bad I was at try-outs."

Surprisingly, it was Rin who looked as though he was going to speak up, but Rei beat him to it.

"Don't worry about that, I'm sure your swimming is nothing short of beautiful when you're on top of your game."

"He's right," Mako said. "We all make mistakes."

Nitori couldn't help but smile. As he was about to thank them, Nagisa spoke up. "Ooh ooh, before we forget, we should all say what course we're taking here at the uni!" he chimed, addressing all five of them. "I'll go first, I do history!"

Nitori was next. "English lit."

"Oh that's so good to hear Aiichirou! I do English lit too," beamed Mako. "If you ever need any help with anything, you can always ask me." Nitori gave him a big smile. He couldn't have been happier to hear this.

Haru was next. "Art, but swimming comes first."

And then Rei. "Math."

Then it came to Rin. He looked a little uncomfortable. "You all already know what I do."

Nagisa was confused. "Aiichirou doesn't, does he?"

"He does."

"Oh… you two have spoken already?"

"Yes…"

"When?"

"At lunch one day, why does it matter?"

Silence descended upon the group. Nagisa, Rei, Mako and Haru all looked at each other with their eyebrows raised. There was clearly some disbelief or at least some surprise that Rin had actually taken the time to talk to another person outside of the swim club. Nitori didn't know whether he should say something or not. Thankfully, a hand on his shoulder from behind quickly saved the situation from becoming more awkward. He didn't have to turn around to know it was Momo.

"Making friends without me," he joked, grabbing a chair and pulling it up next to him.

"You were a long time," Nitori said, a little relieved.

"I was at the bar talking with Sousuke."

"Hey! It's the legendary sea otter!" Nagisa was on his feet again, and Nitori wondered if he was like this all the time or if he simply had had too much to drink already.

"That's me! Hell, I'm glad someone remembered," Momo chuckled before introducing himself to the others.

"I heard about your backstroke Momo," Mako said, "I can't wait to see it in person."

At that moment, Sousuke appeared beside Nitori and placed his drink on the table. He thanked him as he pulled up another chair.

"What kind of cocktail is that?" Nagisa asked him innocently.

Nitori could feel Rin's eyes on him. "It's just orange juice," he replied with a nervous smile.

"Oh, okay!" Much to his relief, Nagisa didn't push it any further.

"Anyway, who's up for making use of the pool table over there?" said Momo, eyeing it from a distance.

"That's not a bad idea," Sousuke agreed. "We could have a tournament or something."

A chorus of _yeah_! rang out around their table.

"You'll play, won't you Aiichirou?" Nagisa asked, turning to him.

"I'll play," he smiled.

And so he did.

For the next two hours he and his new teammates laughed, joked and played like they were old friends. Frame after frame, drink after drink, Nitori felt himself relax more and more, and, by the time he had lost in the second round of their tournament (somehow he had beaten Nagisa in the first), he was acting like his normal self. Of course, it helped that his new friends were so welcoming. Mako made him feel at home at every opportunity and he was such a good person; Nagisa was similar to Momo with his infectious energy and general positivity; Rei could really make him laugh and although he seemed really smart, he was very humble; Haru had a fire about him and passion for swimming, but he was the only one he couldn't really work out; Sousuke was deceptively soft; Momo was as loud as ever; and Rin… well, Rin was Rin. He didn't say much and didn't take part in their game. Nitori had wanted to speak with him, but he had been too wrapped up in what was going on. It was only when he had returned from paying for a third round of drinks did he realise Rin was already readying himself to leave.

"You're leaving?" Nitori blurted out, dropping the tray of drinks down on the table.

"Yeah, I'm done for tonight, I'll see you all at practice tomorrow, don't be late." Rin pushed his chair to the side and made for the exit. The others called out their goodbyes and went back to drinking and playing pool.

Nitori had a decision to make. Should he stay, or follow him? He still didn't really know Rin very well so the latter would look a little strange (both to Rin and the others), but this was likely an opportunity he would not get again. Considering how little they had spoken, just walking home with him and having another normal conversation would be a good way of getting to know him. He seemed so closed off around everyone, if he could get him talking like he did at lunch on Monday, then maybe they could really hit it off and become friends… and maybe something more.

"I'm coming too," he decided, tapping Rin on the arm.

"Oh, okay then," he said, nodding and turning to leave.

Nitori made his excuses (being tired was the best he could think of on the spot) and said his goodbyes before following him out onto the street. It was dark out and there was a smattering of rain, but Nitori didn't mind. They walked a little way up the road and away from the bar, not saying a word to each other. Nitori glanced at Rin a few times and couldn't help but think how lonely he looked under the dim, orange light of the nearby streetlamps.

"You're out early," Rin finally said, breaking the silence.

"Yeah, I'm a little tired so I thought I'd head home too."

"I see. Do you live down this way too?" Rin inquired, beginning to walk again.

"Yeah, kind of," lied Nitori. The truth was he lived in entirely the opposite direction, but he was in too deep to care about that now. "So, did you enjoy the night?" he asked, doing his best to be brave.

"Not really. It's not really my thing. You seemed to enjoy it though."

Nitori noticed how good his hair looked wet, realising in the process that it was now raining harder than he thought.

"I did, the guys are really nice." He tried smiling at him, but Rin didn't look his way. "Let me guess, you'd rather we had practice instead, right?" he joked.

"Well, to be honest, yes. I'd rather have spent the evening a little more productively."

"You don't want to spend time with your friends?"

"They're not my friends," Rin said coldly.

Nitori stopped in his tracks. Rin stopped too.

"You… you don't like them?" Nitori asked, wind whipping at his face. "Not even Sousuke?"

"Sousuke is different. He's useful and doesn't give me headaches. But no, other than him, they're just teammates to me." Rin's eyes pierced through him, warding him off.

Did he really not consider them… and _him_ … as friends?

"But… why?" Nitori demanded, not backing down.

"Because all people do is get in the way!" Rin exploded. "I can't manage the team, study, and improve my own swimming if I'm wasting my time with friends who I'll never see again after this year."

Nitori was distraught. He felt physically sick.

"But… but… you… I…"

"You wouldn't understand…" Rin whispered, guilt seeping into his voice.

A lump had developed in Nitori's throat. He tried to swallow it, but to no avail. Tears stung the corners of his eyes. What was he thinking? Rin didn't want to be his friend, let alone anything more. He was so naive.

"N-No, I understand," he choked, his voice trembling. "I'll leave you alone from now on."

Rin shook his head, his eyes widening. "No, that isn't what-"

"I should go," Nitori cried, not able to hold his tears any longer.

"Aiichirou wait! I didn't mean-" Rin's words were lost as Nitori turned and ran. Thunder rumbled overhead.

He didn't look back.


	6. Point and Click

Chapter 6: Point and Click

Rin stood alone in the street, rain lashing at his skin.

"… _you_. I didn't mean you…"

A flash of lightening briefly lit up the sky, giving him one last fleeting image of Aiichirou as he vanished into the night.

He hadn't meant to lose his cool like that. Aiichirou didn't deserve it. His heart was in the right place and his intentions were pure.

Everything he had said, he had meant. He didn't consider his teammates as friends. That was the truth… but the truth didn't apply to Aiichirou. He was different, somehow. Rin still couldn't place why exactly that was. He did know one thing, however. On the few occasions that they had spoken, he had felt at ease. He hadn't felt pressured or overwhelmed. Aiichirou had been honest and genuine, he hadn't been loud or obnoxious. For the first time in years, Rin felt comfortable around someone who wasn't Sousuke.

He should have made it clearer what he had meant, but what words was he supposed to use? He couldn't just say, _I don't want to be friends with our teammates but you're different_. It sounded absolutely pathetic.

Sighing, he turned and set about finishing his journey home. He ruminated quietly as he walked, mulling it over in his mind. He quickly came to the grim conclusion that Aiichirou would likely not even want to be friends after tonight's episode. He had really upset him.

As he approached his apartment building, Rin cursed at how insensitive he must have seemed. He had to try and make this right. Opening the door and climbing the stairs to his floor, he contemplated how best to do that. He wasn't sure how to go about it, but he figured he should start with the bare minimum: an apology and an explanation for the misunderstanding.

He opened the door to his flat and stepped inside. He headed straight for his room. He immediately sat at his desk and booted up his laptop.

 _Should I_? he thought to himself as it came to life with a whirr. He drummed his fingers on the desk impatiently. When his desktop finally appeared, he clicked straight onto his emails. He clicked _new email_ and proceeded to add Aiichirou as the recipient. His fingers hovered over the keys as he came to the space where the actual email should go. It was as blank as his mind at the moment.

 _Was an email really the best way to go about this_?

Sighing loudly, he put his head in his hands. He was hopeless at this kind of thing and it really showed. Aiichirou deserved am explanation, but over email? It didn't seem like the right way to go. He didn't want to come across colder than he already was. They would have to talk, face-to-face. But how? They were in separate years and separate buildings across campus. The only thing they shared was the swim club, and even then the next practice was… wait… _tomorrow_?!

Rin had an idea.

If they met before practice tomorrow, he could explain himself fully without looking like he seriously planned this, _and_ Aiichirou wouldn't have to wait an entire week for it – making it less likely things would take an even worse turn.

He began to write. After a few moments of furious typing, he had constructed an email. It was a little formal, but he thought nothing of it. He was still his captain after all.

He moved the cursor over the send button, ready, but he hesitated. He thought for a moment about how this might look to the others, in particular to Sousuke who had already made one, quite frankly absurd comment about him and Aiichirou. Deciding it was best to keep this from him, he amended the message to ensure that when they did meet, Sousuke wouldn't be there.

Sitting back, he took a deep breath and clicked send.


End file.
